The Moon could soon become a robot colony of mechanical apes
exploring the lunar landscape, thanks to a monkey robot designed in
Germany.
The multilegged robot, developed by Germany's Research
Center for Artificial Intelligence and the University of Bremen, shows the
advantages of actuated multi-point-contact feet, using a suite of sensors to
monitor precise movements of the foot and ankle structures.
The result is an advanced balance and locomotion system
inspired by physiology, which gives the machine unusually natural movement. The
robot can walk forward, backward, sideways, and diagonally, with smooth
transitions.